ST. CHARLES, Mo. – The Northeastern State baseball team lost 8-4 to Washburn Thursday morning at Lou Brock Complex in the first round of the 2016 MIAA Championship.
 
The RiverHawks (27-22), who are seeded No. 6 in the eight-team conference tournament, have now dropped to the loser's bracket and will play an elimination game against No. 7 Central Oklahoma at 9 a.m. May 13. The Bronchos lost to No. 2 Emporia State 10-3 in the first afternoon session.
 
NSU overpowered the Ichabods (32-18) to the tune of 17 hits to just seven from WU, but the green and white left 13 aboard and committed two costly errors in the loss. The hit total was the third-highest for the RiverHawks and the second-most conceded by Washburn all season. 

Juniors Bryce Davenport and Dakota Woods paced Northeastern State with three hits each. All nine batters recorded at least one hit, with two each coming off the bats of seniors Charles Sims and Eric Kirkpatrick, sophomore Michael Rhea and redshirt freshman Zane Takhar.
 
True freshman Zach Parish (6-3) threw 7.1 innings on the mound and conceded just four earned runs on only six hits, while striking out seven and issuing three walks. He improved his MIAA lead to 107 K's this year. Junior Tyler Yancey recorded the final two outs and allowed one run on one hit.
 
NSU blasted Washburn starting pitcher Nick Silva (9-0) for 14 hits, which was by far the most he has allowed in a game this season. The recently crowned MIAA Pitcher of the Year was tagged for four runs, which was the second-most he has allowed this campaign, and he could not make it out of the seventh inning. His two worst outings have been against the RiverHawks this year, as he was shelled for a season-worst five runs when the two teams met in Tahlequah on March 5.
 
Kyle Carnahan and David Gauntt were the only Ichabods with multiple hits, and they both had just two. Gauntt scored three times, and Zane Mapes recorded two RBI.
 
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